Early Keys Post #176

2009-7-1 07:01:00

[Compiler's Note: The "Early Keys Posts" articles are a from a series of lessons that JJ Dewey gave while conducting classes on AOL (America Online), circa 1994.]

Post #176

A student asked the following:

"Could you be a little more specific regarding the passage you quoted -- Gen 32:24-30. How did Jacob become a god in this passage?"

JJ:

In reality we do not become gods in the religious sense, but we realize our oneness with God as Jesus did. As I quoted earlier from John, Jesus stated the he and the Father were one and his disciples were to also be one as he and the father are one. Jesus realized his oneness with God and became God. If we also realize it then we are also God. If you and God are one then you are God.

The story of Jacob represents the journey of the individual from a state of deception to a state of knowing. The name Jacob comes from the Hebrew YAAQOB which means "heel catcher, supplanter, or one who restrains." This represents the carnal man who supplants and restrains God who is within all of us.

Then he who was Jacob and was living in a state where the kingdom of God within, or God within was "restrained."

Then came a time when Jacob meets a "man" who he calls a "God" (with a big "G") and wrestles with him and beats or prevails against him. After this happens the God tells Jacob that he now has a new name "Israel" which means "to prevail as God."

Even the wording in the King James supports this:

"Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN, AND HAST PREVAILED." (Gen 32:28)

Because Jacob prevailed with God and man he had progressed beyond the restraint symbolized by the name "Jacob" and was given the name Israel because he realized his true nature. He realized that he was one with God just as was the God he had wrestled and beaten.

Moses, like Jacob, was a true Israelite in the fact that he did prevail and have power with the God Jehovah. He is the only person in the Bible who actually called Jehovah to repentance.

When Jehovah found out that the children of Israel were making a golden calf and giving it the credit for delivering them out of Egypt he was very angry and said unto Moses:

"Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation." (Exo 32:10)

Jehovah has promised that the descendants of Israel would become a great nation. Now they had betrayed him he decided he wanted to destroy them all but Moses and fulfill his promise through him. This gave Moses some leverage in petitioning for his people for if Moses did not cooperate and Jehovah destroyed all of Israel but him then there would be no one to fulfill his promise through. Since Jehovah must fulfill his promises then he would need Moses.

Moses thought it would be ridiculous for Jehovah to destroy all of the people he had put so much effort into delivering and told God that the Egyptians would make fun of him for taking the Israelites into the middle of the wilderness just to destroy them. Then he told Jehovah:

"Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people." Then Moses reminded Jehovah of the promises he had to fulfill through them. Later he even laid his own soul on the line: "Yet now, if thou wilt, forgive their sin-; and if not, BLOT ME, I pray thee, OUT OF THE BOOK WHICH THOU HAST WRITTEN." (Exo 32:32)

Jehovah listened to Moses as one equal would listen to another and considered his words and CHANGED HIS MIND. The scripture says:

"And the LORD REPENTED of the evil which he thought to do unto his people. (Exo 32:14)

Jehovah then came up with an alternative plan that would satisfy Moses and at the same time fulfill his purpose.

Just as Jacob wrestled with a God at Peniel and prevailed so did Moses mentally wrestle with Jehovah on Mount Sinai and prevailed against him to the extent that he (God) "repented." Jehovah commanded Moses to "let me alone", but Moses ignored him and argued for his people, yet it was not accounted a sin because Moses was manifesting the same Spirit of the One God as was Jehovah and because they both listened to that One Spirit they reached agreement. Jehovah was always in command and gave the orders, but it was accounted righteousness for Moses to question blind obedience to a decree that did not make sense to him.

Even so with each of us. We must leave the state of suppression, or Jacob, and wrestle those authorities that we allow to suppress God in us until we prevail even as Moses, Abraham and Jehovah.

Another student asks:

"The verse you quoted originally comes from Psalms: 'What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor.' (Psalms 8:4-5)"

JJ:

Again, in the King James and other versions [of the Bible], the word ELOHIYM is mistranslated. In this case it is incorrectly rendered "angels." It should read:

"For thou hast made him a little lower than the gods."

In reality the Christ is a position occupied by The Holy One of Galilee. But there are other populated planets and each of them with intelligent life has a Christ at its head.

Jesus is still in a state of progression and putting all things (as far as we are concerned) under his power just as his Father before him did and just as you and I shall.

The destiny of mankind (on this and other planets) as a whole is to put all things in the universe under our feet. This will take millions of years.

"What is to give light must endure burning."
-- Viktor Frankl